EAST GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Developers hoping to revitalize the Gaslight Village area in East Grand Rapids presented a revised version of their proposed development at Monday night’s commission meeting. The revisions came after public feedback from the previous proposal indicated the plan was too large and dense for the area.
In the new presentation, developers sought to address the most prominent concerns raised by the community, including the building’s height and the amount of parking included. Scott Weirda of Gaslight Investors LLC, one of the developers, emphasized that they had spent considerable time exploring various alternatives to improve traffic flow, building density, and overall design. “Frankly, it’s been fun going through a lot of ideas to work on traffic, height, and density,” Weirda said.
The most visible changes to the plan involved reducing the height of buildings, which had been a major point of contention in the earlier proposal. The developers reduced the parking structure on the north end of the development from four levels to two, and the previously seven-story building at the south end was scaled down to five stories. The reductions were made by removing two floors of contained parking, in an effort to alleviate concerns that the buildings were too tall for the neighborhood’s character.
However, these changes have not fully satisfied the public. As commissioners and residents weighed in, parking remained a central issue. Several community members voiced their concerns about the high amount of surface parking included in the new plan, arguing that it would prioritize vehicles over pedestrian-friendly spaces and green areas. “It’s too much surface parking,” one public commenter said. “Not enough green space.” Another added, “If you build more parking spots, cars will come. It’s a simple formula.”
One commissioner echoed the sentiment, suggesting that the plan still placed too much emphasis on accommodating cars, rather than creating a more walkable and sustainable environment for residents.
Despite the backlash on parking, some members of the public took a different stance, arguing that the new proposal still didn’t include enough parking. “We need more parking than we had before, not less,” one resident commented, noting that the current parking situation in Gaslight Village can be problematic.
In response to the ongoing concerns, Weirda acknowledged that the feedback was valuable and that the developers were eager to move forward with the next stages of the project. “We’re looking forward to advancing beyond this concept approval stage so that we can begin to plan the specific design and detail of the development,” he said.
Although progress is being made, no formal action can be taken on the revised plan for at least 30 days, as required by local rules in East Grand Rapids. This delay allows for further public input and potential revisions to the proposal.
The developers’ efforts to reduce the scale of the project have been praised for showing responsiveness to community feedback, but it remains clear that a delicate balance will need to be struck between parking, density, green space, and pedestrian access in the final design. As the public debate continues, the future of Gaslight Village’s revitalization remains uncertain, but it is clear that the community will continue to play a pivotal role in shaping the development’s outcome.
